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Andrew Kirkby
Can judges put us in the picture over their sentencing priorities?
2/ 7/2008
YOU may recall 47-year-old Shaun Greenhalgh living in a Bolton council house with his 84-year-old father, wheelchair bound mother and aged aunt.
Rejected by the art world for his poor education and lowly northern roots, Shaun Greenhalgh wanted to prove his worth.
In an extraordinary campaign, Shaun recreated works by Lowry, Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, which art critics around the world proclaimed to be original masterpieces.
His crusade culminated in the astonishing reproduction of an Egyptian statue named the Armarna Princess, which he made in his garden shed from tools bought from B& Q.
Museums and private collectors around the globe fought tooth and nail to acquire this "quite superb example of Egyptian art".
The curator of Bolton museum finally procured the sculpture with an offer of £400K, declaring it to be an "exquisite" original Egyptian masterpiece on national TV news.
When police finally arrested him, Mr Greenhalgh was still sharing a cramped council house bedroom with his aged aunt and not a single penny of the money had been spent. He carried out the entire project to confound the art critics and prove his talent.
Mr Greenhalgh hurt no one, except a few pompous public figures with very influential connections, yet the judge at Bolton Crown Court sentenced him to four years and eight months.
For Shaun Greenhalgh, accommodation has been miraculously found in our infamously over-crowded jails.
Fast-forward if you will to June this year when Chester Crown Court sentenced the killer of John Leonard to three years’ detention.
Andrew Kirkby admitted attacking Mr Leonard, who was blind in one eye, as he attempted to help his son being kicked on the ground outside his Macclesfield home. In all probability, Andrew Kirkby will be free within 18 months.
God knows how Mr Leonard’s family must feel. Losing a father is one thing, seeing his killer back out on the streets so soon after his death is a cross no family should have to bear.
Mr Greenhalgh’s neighbours, on the other hand, are mystified as to why he needed to be incarcerated at all, given the judicial propensity for community service, tagging etc.
Explain to me if you will how the humiliation of a few pretentious art critics is a more serious crime than manslaughter.
I’m struggling to understand how the system works.
The views expressed on this page are Vic Barlow's and not necessarily those of the Express
Most recent 2 of 3 user comments
It beggars belief to think that you cant even think whats in a museum is what they claim it to be. Next time i visit one i will be keeping a beady eye on all objects and if suspicious that something is fake be straight onto the appropriate authorities.
7/07/2008 at 06:20
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Elitest have feelings too you know. lol
As for this Vic's comparision, close to spot on.
7/07/2008 at 13:03